Mercer County colleges, universities eager to break out the shovels

Hard hats will be a common fixture at Mercer County colleges and universities this summer.

Pending state legislative approval, six local higher education institutions will receive a combined $95.4 million for capital construction projects that will transform downtown Trenton’s landscape and modernize educational facilities.

The recipients include the College of New Jersey for $57,450,035, Thomas Edison State College for $16,621,000, Mercer County Community College for $9,697,050, Princeton University for $6,452,500, Rider University for $4,555,000 and Princeton Theological Seminary for $645,323.

The funds announced Monday by Gov. Chris Christie came in part from a $750 million General Obligation bond, which voters approved on the last November’s ballot.

“Today, we begin a new era of opportunity for New Jersey’s colleges and universities,” Christie said Monday in a press release. “To keep more of our best students in the State and to make our colleges more attractive research partners for industries looking to bring good paying jobs and businesses here, we need modern facilities to remain competitive.”

TCNJ

The Ewing-based public institution was the top beneficiary in Mercer County.

With $41 million of the funds awarded, the college will construct a new science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) building.

“We’re demolishing an existing building on campus, Holman Hall, and constructing a new 76,000 square-foot building in its place,” college spokeswoman Stacy Schuster said, adding the demolition is planned for this summer.

The facility will house science, technology, engineering, and nursing health and exercise science classrooms and labs.

For the remaining funds, $6 million will be used for renovations to the science complex, where chemistry and biology courses are held; $6.9 million will be employed to lease learning and research equipment for the science and technology program; and $3.5 million will be used for infrastructure improvements to information technology throughout the campus.

“We were really pleased that what the college is doing meets and is in line with the priorities of the state,” Schuster said.

Thomas Edison State College

The Trenton college will be busy on West State Street.

A majority of the money awarded to the college, $12.7 million, will be utilized to erect a new nursing school where the blighted Glen Cairn Arms property at the corner of West State and Calhoun streets currently stands.

“We’re just real excited about that opportunity to transform that gateway into a real asset for the city and certainly for the educational landscape of the state,” college spokesman Joe Guzzardo said.

Demolition is expected to begin in late summer for the Glen Cairn Arms apartment complex and construction for the new nursing school is to start in late fall, with an anticipation the building will be ready in early 2015.

An additional $585,000 will be employed for instructional nursing equipment at the new facility.

The public institution will use $1.4 million when it acquires 102-104 W. State St. from the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, which is slated to move across the street from the Trenton Marriott.

“We will use the funds to create a home for our center for learning technology, which is a nerve center for our educational program to create courses,” Guzzardo said. “It’s just right across the street from our main building so we’re so excited about that.”

The college will also spend $1.9 million to upgrade and renovate its main campus building at 101 W. State St. and the townhouse complex attached to it.

MCCC

The community college, which has campuses in West Windsor and Trenton, already had a facility master plan in place before it applied for state funding.

“When we got ready to write for this bond issue, we selected our projects right off the list,” MCCC President Patricia C. Donohue said. “We are extremely grateful that the citizens recognized how important it is to invest in higher education now.”

MCCC will spend a majority of the funding provided to complete renovations to a math and science building on its West Windsor campus.

“We’ve been renovating some of those labs every year over the last few years,” the college president said. “The idea is that at the end of the this the labs, the offices, the student spaces should all be prime and ready to go for the next 20 to 40 years.”

MCCC will also expand its Trenton vision with the remaining funds.

The community college purchased and renovated a building downtown last fall called Trenton Hall on Broad Street.

“Another part of this project is renovation of more of that building in order to install our health care-related programs,” Donohue said. “We’re going to be building a complex of those programs in one area of this new building that has not been renovated yet.”

The other bond monies will be utilized to increase internet capabilities on both campuses and modernize some of the college’s computer labs.

Princeton

The Ivy League school received funding for two projects under the Capital Improvement Fund.

According to university spokesman Martin A. Mbugua, $3,202,500 will be employed to furnish clean rooms and other lab space in the Andlinger Center and $3,250,000 will be utilized to outfit multi purpose classroom space, including advanced audiovisual equipment in the economics department.

“The Andlinger space is described as high-tech clean rooms, imaging lab space, an industrial collaboration lab, experimental research labs (and) a micro/nano fabrication lab,” Mbugua said in an email. “In the economics space, the space could be used for distance learning, teleconferencing, etc.”

Rider

The private university in Lawrence will use all its funds, along with donor gifts, to build a new academic building, which will cost $8 million.

“The new building will be approximately 12,000 square feet and include a 3,415 square foot rehearsal/recital hall that can accommodate the Westminster Symphonic Choir,” spokesman John Lenox said about the proposed Marion Buckelew Cullen Center on the Westminster Choir College campus. “The building will also contain new classrooms, a lobby that can serve as a reception space, a green room, an audiovisual and information technology room, restrooms and a ticket booth.”

The university will hold a ground-breaking ceremony later this spring and anticipates construction started in early summer.

“The university plans to submit additional proposals in the next round of grant applications for more than $4 million in projects,” Lenox said. “If those are successful, Rider would be able to improve several Lawrenceville facilities, including science labs, classrooms and faculty offices, and the library facilities.”

City Benefits

Mayor Tony F. Mack said in a statement that funding announcement was great news for the city.

“In the coming months and years these grants will call for significant construction in our region which translates into job opportunities for residents and revenue for businesses,” Mack stated. “We all benefit when educational institutions are allowed to expand their course offerings and bring their facilities in line with the 21st century needs of our community.”

Mack also said the demolition of the Glen Cairn Arm property, which he called an “eye-sore,” was beneficial for the city.

He urged residents and businesses to pay close attention to job and contracting opportunities as local colleges and universities begin the next phase.

“The city will reach out to each of these colleges/universities to determine what steps we can take to ensure our residents and businesses are not on the sidelines as opportunities present themselves,” the mayor said.

Princeton Theological Seminary did not immediately respond for comment.